Automatic switch-point-locking mechanism.



E. n. LEVY1 APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28. I915- AUTOMATIC SWITCH POINT LOCKING MECHANISM."

1,203,231 1. Patented Oct. 31,1916.

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E. D. LEVY.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH POINT LOCKI NG MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28. 1915- 1,203,21 1.

Patented Oct. 31, 1916 I I n J 1 ullllll 1 mum M 1 y M Mn 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E. D. LEVY.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH POINT LOCKING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28. 1915.

Patented Get 31, 1916.

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EDWARD 1). LEVY, or SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH-POINT-LOCKING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1916.

Application filed June 28, 1915. Serial No. 36,687.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD D. LEVY, a citizen of the United States'of America, a resident of Springfield, in the county of Greene, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Switch-Point-Locking Mechanisms, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a mechanism by which the movable points of a railway switch may be positively locked and held from lateral movement relative to the main rails when the switch is closed, the invention having for its object'to avoid shifting of such movable switch points with resultant accidents due to derailment ofrailway rolling stock passing over the switch or due to the unintentional passage of the rolling stock onto side tracks.

Figure I is a plan view of a railway switch equipped with my automatic locking mechanism. Fig. II is an enlarged plan View of the mechanism at one side of the switch, one ofthe housing elements being omitted to show the parts beneath it. Fig. III is a vertical section taken on line IIIIII, Fig. II. Fig. IV is a vertical cross section taken on line IVIV, Fig. II. Fig. V is a vertical cross section taken on line V.V, Fig. II, with parts broken away.

In the drawings, A designates main rails of a railway track and B movable switch points.

C is the head rod joining the switch points, and D the connecting rod extending from the head rod to the switch stand. The switch stand includes the usual banner shaft F, provided with a crank arm G to which the connecting rod D is pivoted. Within a gear housing H above the crank arm G is a toothed segment I which is fixed to the banner shaft and is arranged in mesh with a bevel pinion J on a throw shaft K journaled in said housing. The throw shaft has secured to it the throw lever L which is provided with a weight M and is designed to be thrown forwardly and backwardly in closing and opening the switch. When the switch is closed the throw lever preferably lies substantially horizontal as shown in the drawings.

N o invention, per 86, is herein claimed for the parts just described and they may be of the construction shown or of any other suitable construction.

1 designates stop arms secured in any pre-' ferred manner to the switch points B and operable beneath and transversely of the main rails A, each of these stop armsbeing provided with apertures 2 and 3, located dif ferent distances from the switch points, into which locking elements are adapted to enter as will presently more fully appear.

4 designates brackets secured to the main rails A adjacent to the stop arms 1 and through which said stop arms operate. The brackets 4 serve as supports for a rock shaft 5 which extends transversely of the railway track and is provided with looking dogs 6 movable into and out of the apertures 2 and 3 in the stop arms to lock said arms and hold the switch points B stationary. The rock shaft 5 extends to one side of the track and is provided with a counterbalance arm 7 having a counterbalance weight 8 which tends to rotate the rock shaft in a direction that causes the locking dogs 6 to be presented to the stop arms 1 for the purpose of entering the apertures therein.

9 designates a box in which the counterbalance arm 7 and weight 8 operate, the said box serving also as a support for the rock shaft 5.

10 designates a standard mounted on the box 9 in a position that will'permit of the throw lever L of the switch stand resting upon the standard as seen in Fig. III when the said throw lever is in the position assumed at the time the switch is closed.

I 11 is a locking dog pivoted at 12 to the,

standard 10. The said standard isbifurcated at its upper end to receive said dog and the dog is provided with a stop 13 adapted to engage the standard 10 for the purpose of limiting the movement of the dog into a position above the throw lever L, as seen in Fig. III. Y 14 is a foot lever provided with a forwardly extending arm 16 operable against the locking dog 11 to disengage it from the throw lever in order that the latter may be operated. The foot lever 14 is also used to operate the rock shaft 5 for the disengagement of the locking dogs 6 from the stop arms 1 carried by the switch points of the switch. For this purpose the foot lever has loosely connected to it a vertical slide rod 17 operable in a guide 18 secured to the box 9 (see Figs. III and IV), the slide rod being pivoted at its lower end to a lift lever 19 supported,intermediate of its ends, by a shaft 20 mounted in the box 9. The arm of the lift lever farthest from the slide rod 17 is joined by a connecting link 21 to the counterbalance weight 8, the said link being pivoted to said weight and preferably being secured to the lift lever by a pin or bolt 22 adjustable into any one of a series of holes 23 in the lift lever to provide for the proper degree of throw transmitted from the lift lever to the rock shaft 5.

The operation of my switch point locking mechanism is as follows: When the parts are in the positions shown in the drawings, the switch is closed and a train passing the switch will traverse the main line rails 13 only. The locking dogs 6 are seated in the apertures 3 in the stop arms 1 carried by the switch points A and securely hold the switch points from lateral movement so that they cannot become displaced to interfere with the travel of the train as intended. Similarly, when the switch is in open position to direct a train onto the side track, the locking dogs seat in the apertures 2 in the stop arms 1 to restrain the switch points from lateral movement at such time. It will be apparent that such retention of the switch points will be effected irrespective of the switch point operating mechanism and that the switch points will remain in fixed positions even though there may be breakage or other impairment of the mechanism by which they are operated. To release the switch points the operator depresses the foot lever 14 thereby causing it to impart a downward movement to the slide rod 17 which in turn acts upon the lift lever 19, causing the latter to elevate the counterbalance weight and arm 7, whereby the rock shaft 5 is rotated. The rock shaft in rotating lifts the locking dogs 6 from the stop arms 1, thereby freeing the switch points. The operation of the foot lever 14 also results in the actuation of the arm 16 of said foot lever in engagement with the locking dog 11, whereby said dog is shifted to free the switch throwing lever L in order that it may be operated to throw the switch points.

I claim 1. In a railway switch the combination with a pair of movable railway switch points and means for operating said switch points, of a catch receiving member carried by each of said switch points, and means for locking both of said catch members separately when the switch is either open or I closed. I

2. In a railway switch the combination with the main rails of a railway track, switch points movable laterally relative to said main rails, and means for operating said switch points, of stop members extending laterally from said switch points, and means for locking said stop members individually when the switch is either open or closed.

3. The combination with a pair of movable railway switch points and a catch receiving member secured to each switch point, of a pair of rockable catches for engagement with said catch receiving members to hold said switch points independently of each other=against lateral movement.

4. The combination with a pair of movable railway switch points and a catch receiving member secured to each switch point, of a rockable member provided with a counterbalance and having catch elements adapted to engage said catch receiving members.

5. The combination with a pair of movable railway switch points, of apertured catch receiving members carried by said switch points, and catches adapted to enter said catch receiving members to hold the switch points from movement when the switch is either open or closed.

6: The combination with a pair of movable railway switch points, of a catch receiving member carried by each of said switch points, the said catch receiving members being each provided with a plurality of apertures, and catches adapted to enter any of said apertures in each switch point to hold the switch point from movement.

7. The combination of a movable railway switch point, a head rod connected to said switch point, a switch stand connected to said head rod, the said switch stand including an operating lever, a rock shaft having means for engagement with said switch point, a dog for holding said switch stand lever, and a lever whereby said dog is moved to inoperative position to release said switch stand lever and operate said rock shaft to free the switch point.

8. The combination with a movable switch point, of a rock shaft provided with a counterbalance weight, a dog carried by said rock shaft for locking said switch point, a lever adjustably'connected to said rock shaft, and lever mechanism for operating said first named lever.

EDWARD 1); LEVY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

. Washington, D. O. 

